B R A N D S T R AT E GY

WO R K B O O K

A W O R K B O O K TO H E L P YO U C R A F T
A N E F F E C T I V E B R A N D S T R AT E G Y.

LONGMEADOWSTUDIO.COM
 B R A N D S T R AT E G Y
WO R K B O O K

Articulating your brand strategy is essential to creating a brand

that is captivating, effective, and most importantly – true to
YOU! While beautiful branding can certainly capture your client’s
attention, it’s the strategy behind your brand that connects and
converts. Clients don’t just look for the quality in what you’re
selling, but in WHO you are and WHY you’re selling it!

Whether you’re starting a new business, or could use some

clarity around your existing one, this workbook will help walk you
through the same discovery process I use with my own clients in
order to craft a solid brand strategy.

Filling out this workbook requires some time and research, but
is an important step to crafting an effective, stellar strategy and
brand! Carve out an hour or two, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and
take the time to truly dive deep into your brand.

xo, Taylor
LONGMEADOW STUDIO
 SECTION ONE

BRAND POSITIONING

In this section, you’ll answer questions that will help give you
clarity on how you plan on positioning your brand. You’ll start by
identifying your target audience, how you can help them, what
differentiates you from the competition (why they should care),
and finally, the products or services you sell.
 SECTION ONE

BR AND POSITIONING

Who is your ideal client/target audience?

Try to focus on ONE individual and be specific as possible. Do they fall within a certain age group or demographic?
What’s their cultural background? What adjectives would you use to describe them? What are their hobbies or
interests? Where do they like to shop? What other brands do they follow? The more specific you are, the better!

What do they need help with?

Start by thinking about your ideal client’s pain points. What do they need help with? What isn’t working for them or
what could they do better? What areas are they struggling in? What questions do they have?

Example: “Ugh, I know I need to write consistent blog posts, but I really struggle with writing good copy.”

How can you help them?

Based on what you’ve uncovered above, think about how YOU can alleviate some of these pain points for your client.
How can you solve their problems or offer a solution? How will your product or service help?
Who is your competition?
A big part of defining your brand strategy is knowing who your competitors are. Try to list 3-5 businesses that offer
similar products/services as you. Who has the biggest impact/influence? What are they doing well? What do you think
is helping them succeed/stand out? What are they NOT doing? What could they improve on?

What differentiates you from your competition?

Now that you have a better idea of your competition, try to define what makes YOU different. What about your product
or service is better or unique from what’s out there? Why would a client choose you over one of your competitors?
You don’t have to have a lot of differentiators. Sometimes one is enough! Especially if it hits those pain points or covers
the gaps the other competitors are missing.

What is your product or service?

Now that you’ve done some research and define your competition and target audience, briefly sum up WHAT it is you actually
offer. Be concise and avoid using fluffy words or adjectives. This should be like an elevator pitch – try to keep it to 1 or 2 sentences.
 SECTION TWO

B R AN D C H A R AC T E R

In this section, you’ll uncover the essence of your brand –

your brand character. You’ll answer questions around your
brand’s vision, mission statement, core values, personality
and voice. Think about your brand character as how you
want people to FEEL when interacting with your brand.
 SECTION TWO

B R AN D C H A R AC T E R

What’s your brand’s purpose?

The word “purpose” can sometimes be intimidating and feel heavy. You don’t have to get super deep!
Ask yourself: “What’s one reason my brand exists? If my brand were a person, what would they believe in?”

What’s your brand story?

Now that you’ve thought a bit about your purpose – what’s the story behind why you started your business? This is
where you get to talk about YOUR story! Is there a story behind your business name? Did you quit a draining job to
pursue your passion? Did something happen in your life that led you to starting your business? Your clients won’t just
care about what you sell, but who YOU are as an individual. Stories are the easiest way to create a connection!

Whats your brand vision?

What are your aspirations for your business? Where do you see yourself in 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? Dream big!
What’s your brand mission?
Your vision is the WHAT, your mission is the HOW. The mission explains the steps you’ll take to reach your vision.
How will you put your vision to action on an everyday, weekly, or monthly basis? What mindsets or approaches will
you utilize to get you there? Don’t get too overwhelmed with this one. Just jot some ideas down and you can always
refine them later. This is just meant to help you visualize your brand/business in action!

What are your values?

These are what your brand holds dear in the way it does business and the way it behaves. They are the core of your
brand. Your visuals, messaging, and customer relationships should all radiate from these. Think about your brand
as a person again: What’s important to them? Are they laid-back and value having fun? Do they value risk-taking?
Try and list 3-5 main values.

What adjectives/verbs best describe your business / brand?

These words should cultivate the emotion that you want people to have when interacting with your brand.
Try and come up with 5-10 while avoiding using similar words. Examples: feminine, edgy, casual, sporty,
approachable, bold, creative, whimsical, etc.
 SECTION THREE

V I S UA L B R A N D
EXPRESSION

Last but not least! With the clear positioning, values, vision,
and mission you’ve established above, your brand now has
a solid foundation to build everything else out from. This
last section will help inform the physical aspects of your
brand (color palette, typography, taglines, etc.) – what
people will see when they interact with your brand.
 SECTION THREE

V I S UA L B R A N D E X P R E S S I O N

What brands do you admire and why?

Let’s start with some inspiration. Think in terms of your business, not just brands that you personally love. You want
to make sure that your new visual identity best represents your business, and not just your personal style (although
sometimes these are one in the same)! Are they fun + whimsical, clean + professional, modern + bright?

Do you have a tagline?

If so, where will it exist? On your website? In your bio? Should it be incorporated into your logo?

Where will your logo primarily be used?

Print? Web? Merchandise? Think of where you’ll be using your logo, and what types of alternate version of your logo
you might need. If for web, for example, a horizontal logo typically works best.
Color preferences?
If you have an existing brand, are there any colors you want to keep? Are there any that you want to steer away from?

Typography preferences?
List any typography styles you love / want to utilize (script, bold, light, hand drawn, custom lettering, etc.),
as well as any that you DON’T like.
“ D O T H E U N I V E R S E A F AV O R .
D O N ’ T H I D E YO U R M A G I C . ”

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